We will be hosting an open house on Thursday, November 11, from 6-8 p.m., at our campus. Potential clients, volunteers, or anyone who might be interested in supporting the organization is invited to attend to learn how an assistance dog changes the life of a person with a disability. Through a self-guided tour, attendees will be able to watch a trainer working with an assistance dog, talk with a Puppy Program volunteer, and meet graduate teams from each of the five types of areas Can Do Canines trains dogs: hearing, mobility, seizure, diabetes and childhood autism. We are especially excited …
assistance dogs
Plans Announced for Fall Graduation
Thank you for your patience as we’ve been determining the best way to celebrate the graduation of 13 new teams this fall. We understand how important it is for those who have raised each of our special dogs to be able to meet the person who receives that dog. We also want to make sure we are keeping everyone safe during this challenging time. Therefore, we are planning two different experiences for this upcoming graduation. On October 23, we will be hosting a private gathering for the graduates and their dog’s long-term foster families. This will allow these masked individuals …
Remaining Open to Possibilities Allowed Steve to Add Quince to His Life
Shutting doors. That’s what Steve, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2001, says is one of the most difficult tasks for him to manage on his own, especially when he’s using his power chair. “That’s problematic,” he explains. “I go through, and then with the chair and the footrest, you gotta lean in and you start trying to shut the door, but you have to back up because otherwise it’s going to hit. So that was my biggest challenge as far as being truly limited.” Steve talks in the past tense about that challenge, because he now has Mobility …
Peace of Mind Part II
Living with profound hearing loss can be a stressful experience. Brenda, who recently received her second Can Do Canine, knows this well. “It was frustrating not knowing what was going on. My kids would yell at me to get my attention, or come up behind me and startle me,” Brenda says. Going for walks, which she loves to do, can be nerve-wracking when cars come up behind her and catch her unaware. Brenda tried compensating by wearing hearing aids and staying vigilant. It was exhausting. In 2004, she was employed at Lighthouse for the Blind, working with those who were …
Working Together to Lick the Fears
“He came out of his shell,” says Andrea, speaking of when her 8-year-old son, Jaxson, received Autism Assist Dog Natalie from Can Do Canines in late 2020. Jaxson, who has a combination of diagnoses in addition to autism, including anxiety, used to struggle to be by himself. Andrea explains that not only was Jaxson afraid of leaving their Prior Lake house, he couldn’t even go into a different room of the home, including the bathroom, without someone else. Natalie’s loving and calm presence has changed that. Andrea says, “He seems a lot less worried about being alone.” She illustrates, “Once …
Frasier the Wonder Dog Comes to the Rescue
By: Sarah Lennander As Ann was getting older and the effects of her disabilities were compounding, she was at a crossroads. “I felt like I was headed towards being unable to live by myself anymore,” she explains. Enter, Mobility Assist Dog Frasier. Or as Ann calls him, “Frasier the Wonder Dog.” Standing tall on four legs and weighing in at 66 pounds, the black Labrador Retriever isn’t what most people initially imagine when they think of a superhero. In fact, Ann remembered her first impression of Frasier, saying, “I was kind of surprised at how little he was!” But having …
A Veteran’s New Buddy to have his Back
People who serve their country often live out their role as caretaker, not regularly considering ways they could seek help for themselves. Through serving two tours in Vietnam, establishing a family, continuing to work, and finally retiring, Gary has been dedicated to keeping others safe. However, after a rapid decline in his ability to hear, he realized he would need help to remain aware of important sounds around him. Gary has worn hearing aids since the late 80s, still unable to hear some pitches with them in. At night when he takes them out, he’s nearly deaf. Growing up in …
Federal Prison Camp-Duluth Resumes Prison Program with Can Do Canines
On Thursday, May 27, Can Do Canines brought seven puppies and their mom, Yoga, to their temporary weaning home at the Federal Prison Camp, located in Hermantown, Minn. This will resume this facility’s puppy prison program that has been paused since last spring due to the pandemic. Being weaned in a prison setting may be one stop on the journey for many of our dogs in training. Selected male inmates in the Duluth facility serve to wean 5-10-week old puppies from their mother, providing them with love, support and basic behavioral skills. After this weaning process, the puppies will return …
Where Medicine Failed, a Dog Fit
Disabilities don’t play by rules or follow textbook criteria. They often show up and cause issues beyond anyone’s expectations. Hannah has lived with a unique disability and conditions that complicate numerous aspects of her health, and traditional treatments have not been able to offer as many resolutions. At 13 years old, she was training for a half marathon and developed a pain in her left leg. It was discovered to be caused by a bone cyst, but its removal triggered her immune system to attack her muscles. She was eventually diagnosed with the refractory form of juvenile myasthenia gravis, a …
From Selling the Dream to Living it
An expert in business and beer, Dan steered his role as a leader in executive management to focus on his passion by opening a distillery several years ago. With a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease and its progress of over 15 years, however, he went from managing a business to managing a disability. Experiencing tremors in his hands, stiff muscles, constant pain, and severe balance issues, Dan lost much of his independence. While his life shifted away from his regular adventures, he persevered in caring for himself and his family with the help of surgeries and new technology. Dan would go …
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